Everyone should have a clean engine bay. Once clean it is simple to keep it that way...

"I spy with my little eye" a Battery Tender?

Replaced water pump, thermostat, new o-rings for hoses, new belts, new idler and tensioner pulleys, de-grease engine bay and took for a quick test spin. Touch wood, all seems to be fine - no more squeaking at start-up (was water pump bearing and idler pulley bearing). Quality coolant after a flush of the system - all ready for next summer.
Most difficult aspect of this job was the lower bolt on the water pump clashing with crank shaft pulley. Ground off about 2mm and it made it much easier to reinstall.
Parts were ordered on-line and left LA on June 29th, arrived in Sydney on July 1st then took another 9 days to get to me in Western Australia (WTF?). Glad to have my workshop back in order and the X5 ready to rock n roll.

Finally replaced my digital MID radio control module with a refurbished unit off fleaBay. $275 with a $75 core refund when I send my old one back to them. My old one had so many dead pixels, I had to set things by memory or multiple button presses resulting in turning things off or on I didn't intend to. I couldn't even read what I was pressing. So much nicer... :thumbup:

Rear subframe bushings and Rear diff bushings. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c0f25db0b6.jpg

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Did my subframe bushings. Didn't do the dif bushings. How bad were yours?

I should check on my subframe bushings and diff bushings... as far as I know they're still original at 215k miles and I have the 4.6 engine which puts quite a bit of stress on everything.

As my car is coming up 14 years old the rubbers are going to be TOTALLY shot in my sub frame bushes, I have watched the videos and seen a way to get the bushes out and back in using the tool. Looks like the ONLY way to do it is WITH that tool. Tell me how hard it was and I will either forget about it or man up and do the work myself as I know it needs doing.

It's not that difficult. I'd say the tool is the only way to get those bushings out and in. The one trick with the tool is that it needs to be oriented properly. There are some notches in the bushings that tabs on the tool fit into. If you don't orient it properly it distorts the bushing and you'll play hell getting the old bushing out of the tool. Don't ask me how I know. ;)

Our cars both need the bushings for the sub frame. Hadn't checked the rear diff. I found some urethane adhesive with some very similar properties to the original bushing and am tempted to try an injected solution. It would be more firm than the original but much better than the clunk I get now when reversing direction


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